Swiveled coupling



July 10,1923.

A. S. FRIEZE swIvELED coUPLING Filed Sept. 19. 1919 Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES ALFRED S. FRIEZE, 0F FOSSIL, OREGON.

STTIV'IELILEDV COUPLING.

Application filed September 19, 1919. Serial No. 324,789.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ALFRED S. FRIEZE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the town of Fossil,` county of Wheeler, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swiveled Couplings, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in couplers and'refers more particularly to a swivelcd coupling adapted for use in cable lines of logging camps and the like, although the coupling may be used wherever found serviceable.

The important object of my invention is to provide a swiveled coupling, whi-ch, besides being easily released under strain, has a swivel feature which prevents twisting of the cables or lines used or undue torque upon the cables or coupling. This is a. serious objection caused by the rolling of a log in hauling.

In the drawings: p

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my coupling shown in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the device in uncoupled position.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 4 4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the cables, the looped ends 3 and 4 of which engage the hooks 5 and 6 of the coupling designated as a whole 7. The hooks may take the form of clevises or the like if desired. The coupling as a whole comprises a main bar 8, one end of which is provided with an enlarged head portion 9,

recessed as shown at 10 for purposes hereinafter described. The sides of the recess are bored as shown at 11. Beyond the recess the bar is provided with a lug 12, also provided with a horizontally extending member l13. The swivel member 37 is pivotally connected to the lug by means of a pivot pin 14, the member 37 having forked ears 15. which engage the pin.

Referring now to the other end of the bar, near its end, it is provided with a shoulder portion 16, which carried an upstanding lug 17, to which is pivotally secured by means of pin 18, the forked end 19 of a latch bar or lever 20. The free end of this lever carries a tongue 2l, which fits into recess 10 of the main bar. The tongue is apertured as shown at 22 to receive the locking pin 23, which in turn is apertured to receive a Cotter pin 24. At its upper end, the lever is provided at its end side with a shoulder 25, which fits against the shoulder 16 when the device is in coupled position.

This lever is adapted to actuate the hook 6 and force it into operative engagement with the main bar. To this end a forked slide block 26 has sliding engagement with the main bar. The lower end 27 of the block slides in a groove 28 formed in the lower face of the bar 8, while the upper end 29 of the block slides over the upper face of the bar and is provided with a link 30, pivoted by means of pin 31 to said upper end 29. This link is adapted to have hooked engagement with a recess or groove 32 formed in the upper face of the latch lever. This groove, it will be noted, is inclined downwardly toward the link so as to facilitate the leverage action. At this end is another bifurcated swivel member 37 pivoted to the end 33 of the block 26 by means of pivot pin 34.

Between the forked ears 15 of both of the hook members. 5 and 6 are pivoted lugs 36, 36 respectively, held in place by pivot pins 38, 38 which extend through both the ears and the lugs. The opposite ends of these lugs 36. 36 terminate in enlarged rounded heads 35, 35 the round stocks of the lugs 36, 36 fit into holes in the bifurcated members 37, 37 permitting rotary movement of both the hooks and the coupling while the enlarged heads prevent the hooks being pulled from the members 37, but allow rotary movement of the.lugs. The ears of these bifurcated members 37, 37 are coupled to lugs 12 and 33 of the coupling by means of pivot pins 14 and 34. This arrangement allows for the rotating of the coupling or the cable at both ends in either direction with the axis of the cable, the rotation taking place where the lugs 36, 36 connect the members 37, 37 without twisting the cable; that is, the enlarged head portions 35, 35 of the lugs 36, 36 turn in lthe rotatable joint or swivel members 37 37 preventing twists or turns in the cables at either end of the coupling.

The device is operated in the following manner: The cable 2 is first secured around the log (not Shown) t9 ,be hauled., in.. and the head then slid onto the main bar in a manner heretofore described and the link 30 hooked onto the grooved portion of the lever. The latter is then swung into closed position which puts the head into secure engagement with. the main bar. The tongue of the lever is then locked to the rest of the main bar and the device is in coupled position. The device may7 be uncoupled by si1nply nnlockng the lever and swinging the latter u]. wardly. Further pull on the cable l will detach the main bar from the head portion whereupon the Cable 2 can be re moved from the log.

I claim as my invention:

In a coupling of the character described,

the combination with a bar member having a slotted end and an arm diagonally slotted and pivoted to said bar and adapted to be locked parallel to said bar and capable of being,` swung iipwardly on its pivot, of an engaging slide block having interlocking portions With said diagonal. slot in the pivot bal'. and to cooperate with the bai' when the arm is locked ?n a` parallel position5 bitnn cated members pivotally mounted on said bar and on said slide block, and cable attaching hooks connected to said bifnrcated members for a swivel. niovenient permitting;r a free rotation of said hooks.

` ALFRED S. FREEZE` 

